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J. a. WIDHELM.

VAPOR BURNER. APPLICATIQN map JUNE 14. 1919.

1,329,066, Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

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JOSEPH G. WIDHELM, 0F FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

VAPOR-BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Application filed June 14, 1919. Serial No. 304,220.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH G. WIDHELM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Burners, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention is intended more particularly to provide a vapor burnerfor use 111 the tank heater disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,273,560,granted to me, July 28, 1918, the obj ect of the present invention beingto provide a burner of simple and efficient construction whereby anadequate supply or heat will be provided and low grade fuel oils may beused without clogging of the burner or any of its parts and without theaccumulation of soot or other deposits upon any of the parts of theburner.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showingthe burner in position within a tank heater of the type above mentioned;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the vapor guard.

The tank heater comprises a body 1 having a heating chamber 2 and aremovable partition 3 at the inner end of the said chamber. A verticallydisposed air chamber 4 is also provided on the heater, and, in carryingout my present invention, a fuel supply pipe 5 leads from a supply tank(not shown) downwardly through the chamber 4 and passes through thepartition 3, as shown at 6. The inturned lower end of the supply pipe 5enters a retort or vaporizing chamber 7 and a cut-01f valve casing 8is'interposed in the supply pipe at any preferred point, to control thesupply to the burner. From the vaporizing chamber 7, a vapor conductingpipe 9 leads downwardly and is then turned forwardly to provide-a branch10 below the under side of the retort. A needle valve 11 is mounted inthis branch 10 and controls the flow through an outlet 12 in the upperside thereof, the stem 13 of the Valve depending from the branch 10 andbeing equipped with any convenient from of handle 1%. Mounted upon thestem 13 below the branch 10 is an ignition cup 15 which may, ifpreferred, be packed with asbestos or other wicking to facilitatelighting. This cup is held in place by a nut 16 on the stem which clampsthe cup against a shoulder 17 on the burner tube or the branch 10 andbetween said shoulder and the cup 15 is interposed a foot 18 of a vaporguard 19. The guard 19 is an open-ended upwardly tapering tube arrangedabove the vapor valve 11 in such position that the vapor escapingthrough the port 12 must rise through the guard. The foot 18 dependsfrom the lower edge of the guard and extends over the end of the burnertube with its extrem ity turned under the tube to fit around the valvestem 13, as shown. The depending portion of the foot is provided with anopening 20 to engage a plug or projection 21 at the end of the burnertube and thereby aid in holding the guard in its proper position.Diametrically opposite the foot 18, the guard is provided with a lateralfoot 22 an ranged to rest on the branch 10 and clamped thereto by a clip23. On the upper end of the guard is a flared outlet ring or collar 21and supported upon and over said collar is a baflie plate 25, said platebeing supported by links 26 extending between the same and the collarand so arranged and spaced that two of them will be in the verticalplane of the pipe connections to the retort and will, therefore, divertthe flame from said conneotions and prolong the life of the same.

Adjacent the retort and in advance of the same, I interpose in thesupply pipe a T-coupling 27 from which a nipple 28 depends, the lowerend of the nipple being closed by a removable cap 29. The sediment inthe oil will drop into and collect in this nipple and, consequently,will not pass into the retort and clog the same. By removing the cap,the nipple can be easily cleaned.

It will be readily noted that the parts of my burner are very compactlyarranged and will fit easily and neatly within the heating chamber ofthe tank heater 1. Then it is desired to use the burner, the valve 11 isadjusted to permit some of the oil to overflow through the port 12 andfill the cup 15. The valve 8 is then closed so as to cut 011 furtherflow of fuel and the oil in the cup ignited whereupon the flame willplay upon the branch 10 and the retort so that the oil in the same willbe vaporized. WVhen the subsidence of the flame indicates that theexcess fuel has been consumed, the valve 8 may be again opened and thevapor issuing through the port 12 will then be ignited. If desired, apilot burner may be provided to automatically ignite the issuing vapor.

The flame of the burning vapor Will produce the heat needed for theheating chamber 2 and will also play directly upon the body of theretort or vaporizing chamber 7 so that the oil admitted thereto will bevaporized and will burn without soot or smoke or other deposits at theport 12.

In actual practice, this device gives a clear blue hot flame from verylow grades of kerosene and similar oils. It Will be noted that the underwall of the retort 7 is concave so that carbon deposits Will not find alodging place thereon and the surface of the retort is maintained opento the direct action of the flame. It will also be noted that the uppersurface of the retort is convex so that any particles which might tendto lodge thereon will be turned aside and will roll therefrom and dropto the bottom of the heating chamber. The retort is made of any durablematerial and may be sheet metal or cast metal, but of whatever materialit is made the Wall should be of such thickness that the heat will bereadily given off to the oil in the retort so as to quickly vaporize thesame. The port 12 and valve 11 are located directly below the concavebottom of the retort and close thereto so that all the vapor escapingthrough the port will be directed against the retort. The requiredheating of the retort will thus be easily and quickly attained and theoperator may adjust the valve so as to economically obtain any desireddegree of heat. The flow of vapor may be so nicely regulated that whenthe vapor strikes the bottom of the heated retort, an intense blue flameis produced and all carbon or other elements which, with other burners,tend to accumulate on the retort are consumed. The vapor valve 11 iseasily accessible so that it can be regulated without danger to theoperator. The vapor guard receives the vapor as it passes from the vaporvalve and ignites, thereby protecting it from possible side drafts whileadmitting sufficient air to produce perfect combustion. The flamestrikes the bafile and is deflected over the edge of the collar so as toplay over the entire surface of the retort. quickly to the degreenecessary for vaporization of the fuel without requiring a large iianze.Low grades of oil may be used and will burn perfectly under allconditions of fiiil'lCI without soot or smoke for a long time withoutany attention from the operator.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a retort, aburner below the retort, a valve in the burner having its stem dependingbelow the same, an openended tubular vapor guard disposed between theburner and the retort, a foot depending from the guard below the burnerand engaging the valve stem, and means for securing said foot to thevalve stem.

In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a retort, aburner below the retort, a valve in theburner having its stem dependingbelow the same, an openendcd tubular vapor guard rising from the burner.a projection on the burner, a lateral foot on the guard resting on theburner, means for securing said foot to the burner, a second footdepending from the guard and engaging over the projection on the burnerand around the valve stem, and means for securing said foot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH G. WIDHELM. [Ls] The retort is heated

